Masquerades and Illusions, a Magical Girl Black Nuzlocke
by twilightwrites
Summary: After hearing some harsh comments about her acting and battling skills, actress Natsuko Yuki poses as Host Summer Yukimura and heads to Unova. Her timing couldn't be worse, however, as an extremist 'gijinka rights' group called Plasma creates tension between gijinka and humans. Does playing a hero make you qualified to be one? Summer can only hope. Black Nuzlocke.
1. Unova, I Choose You!

**Edited 9/8/16 for added character perspective, improved dialogue, and events.**

 **DISCLAIMER:** I don't own any aspect of the Pokémon franchise.

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 **Masquerade:** **  
**(noun) a false show or pretense; _the wearing of disguise_.

(verb) _pretend to be someone one is not_ ; be disguised or passed off as something else.

 **Illusion:** **  
**(noun) _a thing that is or is likely to be wrongly perceived or interpreted by the senses_ ; a deceptive appearance or impression; _a false idea or belief_.

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 _Dear Miss Yuki,_

 _After reviewing your unique educational background, the Japanese branch of the International Pokémon League would like to congratulate you on your acceptance into the International Exchange Program (IEP). As per your preferences, you will be sent to Unova to participate in the 2018-2019 Unovan League Challenge. In the upcoming weeks, we will send information about your first Suit, travel details, and more, so please check your email and mailbox regularly._

 _We hope you enjoy your journey!_

 _Miyuki Fujiwara_ _  
_ _Executive Director of the International Exchange Program, Japanese Division_

 _Chiho Sonozaki_ _  
_ _Executive Director of the Japanese Pokémon League_

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 **M** asquerades **a** nd **I** llusions  
Chapter 1: Unova, I Choose You!

It was like something out of a J-drama: a plucky young protagonist running late to her first day of class, tearing through town with a piece of bread in her mouth. Except _she's_ the protagonist, it's her first Suit's graduation ceremony (which she _missed_ -jet lag was such a _bitch_ ), and all she had time to grab was a stale granola bar from the hotel dining room.

 _Could the Legends be any more cliché?_ Natsuko Yuki-no, Summer Yukimura now-thought as the three-story Nuvema Training School came into view.

Luckily for her, the ceremony had _just ended_ , so the new grads, their parents, and other guests were only starting to file out of the building. She could save this. She _would_ save this.

The minute she spotted her Suit, Summer made a running leap over the school's fence and onto the blacktop…right in front of said Suit and his family. _Nice job, Natsu. That was perfectly normal._

"It's _you_!" he-Dylan-gasped, pushing strands of snowy white hair away from his navy eyes as if to make sure it was really her. He laughed. "Glad you could make it. I was starting to worry you wouldn't show."

"I-I'm sorry! I'd just gotten here early this morning and I forgot to set the alarm so I overslept then I tried running here but my heels _snapped_ and _then_ I got lost-"

Dylan put a hand on her shoulder. "It's fine. Don't worry about it." His reassuring smile banished all thought of Summer screwing up before she could even begin. "Oh, here." He pulled out a metallic bracelet with six clear crystals embedded into its surface from underneath his gown. "This is your Merge Bracelet."

"Thank you," she whispered, gingerly accepting her bracelet. She knew she probably came off as a little silly, but this was the first time she would be putting on a Merge Bracelet as a normal Host instead of as an actress. The minute she snapped it closed on her wrist, the crystals flashed on, the first one turning a pale blue to match the single crystal on Dylan's bracelet.

"Ooh, this is so exciting!" Mrs. Rogers cooed, hands clasped together, "I remember when I met my Host…"

A middle-aged man with Dylan's pale rose skin but dark blue hair approached the group, a dark-skinned male sporting a cream brown buzz cut in tow. Summer immediately recognized the boy as Leon, the second Suit Dylan had mentioned in his email a couple of weeks ago. He'd wanted to know if she wouldn't mind him joining their team; of course, she said _yes_. How many Hosts started out with _two_ Suits?

"Hey, everyone!" Mr. Rogers said, "Now that Leon's here, let's head over to the Sea Breeze. Our reservation's at five."

"Hey, Dylan," Leon greeted, then pointed to Summer, "…and Summer, right?"

"Yup! Nice to meet you." She held out her hand to the Lillipup gijinka.

Leon shook it. "How was your tri-?"

"Yo, Dylan!"

A tan-skinned boy broke from the crowd of students and families, their black hair spiked despite the formal occasion. A red-eyed, light-skinned brunette followed, apologizing to anyone they bumped into on the way.

"Aiden!"

"Guys," Aiden gestured to the brunette, "This is Isabelle, my Host. Izzy, this is my friend Dylan, his family, and…"

"Leon."

"Summer."

"Nice to meet you," Isabelle murmured. She turned to Aiden. "Are…are you sure about this? They look ready to leave…"

" 'Course I am! It'll be quick, I promise." Aiden smirked, "Dylan Rogers, I challenge you to a battle!"

"Do you really have to battle now?" Mr. Rogers whined, "Today's lobster night."

"Oh come on, honey. The Sea Breeze isn't that far from here," Mrs. Rogers said, patting her husband's arm, "Besides, League guidelines say that a gijinka team can't back down from a challenge."

" _Fine_ …"

Everyone made their way to the courtyard behind the school, where the parameters of the battlefield were marked in fading paint. The opposing teams faced each other from opposite sides of the field while Dylan's older sister, Brooke, served as a referee from the middle. Summer's heart pounded fast. Even though she'd done plenty of stunts and fights while acting for _East Meets West_ , this would be her first normal battle. She needed to make a good impression on Dylan.

"This is a one-round, one-on-one battle between Summer Yukimura of Goldenrod City, Johto and Isabelle Ishiguro of Hearthome City, Sinnoh. The first team to revert their opponent's transformation is the winner. Ready?" Brooke ran off the field. "Go!"

"Transform: Dylan!"

"Transform: Aiden!"

With a flash from both their bracelets, Dylan dissolved into a bright blue light that engulfed Summer. Her dress was replaced with a sky-blue, kimono-like top, a navy obi belt, and matching shorts, her broken heels replaced with geta slippers. Her dyed auburn hair turned white and styled itself into two small buns.

Isabelle had also changed, her brown hair now short, wavy, and orange, while her cap and gown became a thigh-length black jumpsuit.

 _Let's do this!_ Dylan cried from within Summer's mind.

Grinning, she shot a blast of water at Isabelle. Isabelle dodged, the rushed towards Summer. Summer ducked to avoid Isabelle's punch and jabbed Isabelle's side with her knee. As she fell back, Isabelle blew a small flame at her. When Summer flinched, she punched her in the chest. Before she could recover, Isabelle knocked her back with a second, stronger Ember to the gut.

 _Try making a stronger Water Gun!_ Dylan suggested.

Dodging several more blows, Summer focused on her hands, allowing her Suit's energy to concentrate there. Once the cool tingling in her fingers felt strong enough, she unleashed a stream of water, knocking Isabelle off the battlefield.

"Isabelle has been knocked out of bounds! Summer is the winner!"

"Yes!" Summer leapt. "Dylan, return!"

Dylan rematerialized and high-fived Summer. "All right!"

Aiden reappeared at Isabelle's side. "Beginner's luck," he laughed, "Next time, we'll slaughter you."

"I'd like to see you try," Dylan teased.

"Okay, so you've made a rival for life," Mr. Rogers called from the bleachers, "Now can we go eat?"

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 **A/N:** This nuzlocke idea was inspired by several things: magical girl anime (mostly Sailor Moon and Kill la Kill), the anime Tiger and Bunny (just a little bit), and somewhat by dejasquietplace's Leaf Green nuzlocke, _That Comic about That One Kid_ —the first gijinka nuzlocke I've ever read (seriously, go read it. It's wonderful). I say somewhat because I was kinda expecting the concept of battling to be like the one I described above (especially when she drew her protag Makoto as Sailor Moon). But it turned out to not be that way at all, which is great, because otherwise I never would've been able to write this. XD

World Building Details:  
 _Merging_ -the process of a human or human/gijinka hybrid (the _Host_ ) and a gijinka (the _Suit_ ) combining into a new, temporary form.

 _Battle Form_ -the temporary form that results from Merging.

 _Merge Bracelets_ -the devices that allow Merging to occur. They are usually bracelets, but can also be other forms of jewelry (excluding earrings) or even prosthetics.

I will slowly leak out more info on Merging as time goes on, but for the more impatient people in the audience, feel free to check out my nuzlocke Tumblr, mergelocke, for more information.

I hope you enjoyed reading! Please feel free to leave comments and/or constructive criticism!

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 **RULES:**

 **1\. You may only catch the first Pokémon you encounter per route.**  
EXCEPTIONS:  
-If the Pokémon encountered is one you already have, you may keep trying until you find a unique Pokémon. If there are no such Pokémon to be found, just move on. (Dupes clause)

-The same goes if it is an evolution of a Pokémon you already have. (Evolutions cause)

-In-game trade Pokémon and gift Pokémon are allowed, as they tend to be within cities/locations where other Pokémon are not available.

 **2\. If a Pokémon faints, box it.**

EXCEPTIONS:  
-If a Pokémon faints via Legendary, this rule does not apply.

-If a Pokémon faints via gym leader, you have one more chance before the Pokémon is boxed.

 **3\. You may only use revives you** _ **find on the ground**_ **. Revives cannot be purchased.**

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 **TEAM LINE UP**

 _ **SUMMER YUKIMURA/NATSUKO YUKI**_  
Dylan Rogers (Species: Oshawott. Gender: Male. Age: 16. Nature: Modest. Met: Nuvema Town. Ability: Torrent.)  
Leon Williams (Species: Lillipup. Gender: Male. Age: 18. Nature: Brave. Met: Route 1. Ability: Vital Spirit.)

 _ **ISABELLE ISHIGURO**_ **  
**Aiden Garcia (Species: Tepig. Gender: Male. Age: 17. Nature: Adamant. Ability: Blaze.)

japaneserockergirl  
9/8/16


	2. Accumulating Rivals

Thanks to **Septentrion Euchoreutes** and **KuraOkami13** for your reviews and follows!

Last time, our team finally assembled together, but what awaits Summer and co. in Accumula?

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 **M** asquerades **a** nd **I** llusions  
Chapter 2: Accumulating Rivals

"First stop, Accumula!" Summer said as she, Leon, and Dylan left the riverside, grassy path of Route 1 and descended the hill into Accumula Town.

Larger than Nuvema, Accumula had its brick apartment buildings and small local businesses lined up against beige concrete sidewalks. Closer to its center was a large park, with the local Traveler's Center nearby, its red roof and large, embedded model of a Merge Bracelet shining in the mid-morning sun.

"So I was thinking we take a quick stop here, then move on Striaton," Dylan stated, "I mean, there's no gym here, and there's not much sight-seeing to do, so you wouldn't mind, would you, Summer?"

"If Leon's on board, then-ugh!" Summer cried as a flyer blew into her face. She pulled it off, pausing when she saw the phrase 'win 500D!'. "Guys, look."

As Leon and Dylan looked over their leader's shoulder, they read, _"Are you a new battle team? Wanna win 500D? Then battle at the Gijinka Guard's first ever Battlepalooza, hosted by Accumula Town's Battle Club! Competition starts May 17th, 250 P.D. at 1 P.M. UST!"_

"...I take it we're not just gonna bypass Accumula anymore?" Leon asked.

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"When your team name is called, you'll just walk down the hall and through that corridor into the stage," the volunteer explained as she and the trio walked through the Battle Club. "And this," she added, pointing at the room they had reached, "Is the Battle Lounge. Good luck!"

Humans, hybrids, and gijinka chatted amongst themselves while sitting on a variety of chairs. Some watched the flat screen televisions mounted on the walls, while others surfed the net on their X-Transceivers. While Summer had seen crowds on the streets of Goldenrod and around her during autograph signings, she had never seen a group of people act so...casual.

"Hey, looks like I'm getting my revenge sooner than I thought!"

The three turned to find Aiden and Isabelle playing cards at a small table. The latter gave a small wave and a wan smile.

"Oh, great! I get to kick your ass twice in a row!" Dylan laughed as he, Leon, and Summer joined the table.

Aiden snorted. "Yeah, right! We _learned_ from last time."

"You mean _yesterday_?" Leon inquired.

Dylan laughed.

Aiden shrugged, his smile never fading. "Well, me and Izzy are quick learners."

As everyone continued talking, Summer noticed that Isabelle contributed little, her skin was paler than yesterday, and she kept playing with a strand of her hair.

"You okay?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Just a little nervous."

A _SLAM_ against their table made both girls jump. The culprit, Dylan, whispered, "Get out. She's here?"

Aiden laughed. "She's over there," he said, pointing across the room, "Gotta warn you, though. Her Host's super serious."

"I don't care if her Host's Giratina itself." Dylan ran his hand over his hair before walking away.

"What was that?" Summer asked. She looked over Aiden's head to find Dylan talking to a green-haired girl and a blonde, apricot-skinned boy.

"Told him where his 'girlfriend' was," Aiden said, "He's been pining after her since second year at the Academy."

Summer slowly rose from her seat. "I see. Maybe I should just...check things out. Make sure he's okay." She could see Leon shake his head from the corner of her eye as she left.

Once she reached Dylan and his conversation partners, she said, "There you are, _Dylan._ " Summer bit her lip at his flinch-had he figured that Aiden had told her?-then leaned toward the girl and boy. "Mind introducing me to your friends?"

With only a slight twitch in his smile, Dylan said, "Of course not. Ivy, Levy, this is Summer, my Host from Japan. _Summer_ , this is my friend Ivy from the academy and her host, Levy."

"Hey," Ivy greeted. She was the tallest of the four of them, with yellow-green hair cut into a bob and brown eyes that complimented her sandy skin.

"Nice to meet you," Levy said, "Dylan mentioned that you're taking on the League?"

"Yeah. I figured it'd be fun to travel with others, and most gijinka and hybrids wanna fight, so..."

Levy nodded. "Do you plan on claiming the Champion's title?"

 _Is he looking for rivals?_ Summer was sorry to disappoint him. "Nah. I'm just gonna challenge him for fun."

"For _fun_?" Levy scoffed, "Isn't that a waste?"

Dylan frowned.

"Levy," Ivy hissed.

Summer was unfazed. "Not really. I'm in no rush-"

"No, I meant for the Champion. He has his hands full as it is."

Summer frowned. _What's this guy's deal?_ "But Unova also has exhibition matches, right?"

"They do," stated a fifth voice.

The four turned to a light-skinned, navy haired boy, who had apparently been talking with someone nearby, as he was only half-turned to them. Summer caught the name 'Donovan' on the tag taped to his orange volunteer shirt as he completed his turn. "And Champion Alder says they're great practice for his 'real' matches. Champion Alder also stresses the importance of _compassion_."

Levy's eyes narrowed. "I'm sorry, but we weren't talking to you."

Donovan stiffened, then glanced away. "Yeah, well, I couldn't just sit here and listen to you-"

"Yo, Don!" An umber-skinned male with a red Mohawk called from the lounge door. "The competition's about to start! We need to get ons-"

 _"Welcome everybody, to the first ever Battlepalooza, provided by the Gijinka Guard! Promoting friendly gijinka-human relations for ten years! I'm your host..."_

"Crap," Donovan muttered before he, the other boy, and the volunteer whom he'd been talking to ran out of the room.

Knowing an opening when she saw one, Summer grabbed Dylan's arm. "Well, since the competition's starting, we should check out the TV. Nice meeting you guys!"

As his Host tugged him away, Dylan added, "Ni-nice seeing ya, Ivy! Good luck!"

 _"Our first battle of the day is Isabelle versus Alice!"_

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It had been years since Isabelle had last been in the spotlight, and she had hoped she'd never be in it again. But when Aiden had come to her last night in the Travel Center, eyes bright and cheeks warm as he gushed about the competition, she couldn't find it in her to say no. So now there they were, walking onto the battlefield, the crowd cheering and the lights blaring down on them. Isabelle took a deep breath.

 _Take it easy. This isn't going to be like last time_.

Her opposing Host stood proudly, her arms akimbo and a Blitzle gijinka at her side. What Isabelle would have given for even half that confidence.

The announcer's voice made her jump. _"This is a one-on-one battle between Isabelle Ishiguro of Hearthome City, Sinnoh and Alice Aygeman of Nacrene City, Unova. The first team to revert their opponent's transformation is the winner! Ready? Go!"_

"Transform: Aiden!"

"Merge with me, Ellis!" the sepia-toned Alice cried.

The warm orange light and its resulting changes were only slightly comforting. Aiden would be with her, sure. _But then, hadn't Cecilia?_

Isabelle's transformation ended right before Alice's, giving Isabelle just enough time to see Alice's hair change from curls to spikes and her clothes into a striped, black and white leotard with black stockings and white boots. Then, Alice charged.

Isabelle dodged, but Alice swerved back towards her. Isabelle used the other girl's shoulders as a springboard as she leapt over her.

 _What are you_ doing _?_ Aiden complained. _Attack!_

 _I can't!_ Isabelle sidestepped another Quick Attack. _She's too fast!_

 _That's why you-_

A sudden wave of heat, accompanied by crackling, engulfed Isabelle. She barely heard the crowd's collective _"Oooh..."_ as the electric shock faded. Alice rammed into her before she could recover.

 _You see?_ Aiden panted. _You_ need _to_ hit her _._

Isabelle scrambled to her feet, narrowly avoiding a third Quick Attack. When Alice paused to summon energy, the other girl saw her chance.

 _Fine_. Isabelle rushed forward, concentrating fire energy into her fists, only to be knocked back by a second Shockwave. The electricity seemed to ripple through her body more fiercely than the last time. As Alice prepared for another attack, Isabelle jumped into the air and delivered a series of Embers that all made their mark.

Upon landing, she went in for a punch. Alice seized her hand, shocked her, and tripped her with a foot swipe. Once back on her feet, Isabelle hurled Ember after Ember, but her aim worsened despite the fire spreading through her veins, the sign that Aiden's Blaze was activating. That she had to dodge Alice's Quick Attacks did not help.

The final blow was a Shockwave that was weaker than the others.

Medics descended on the battlefield the minute Isabelle's transformation reverted, carefully helping the two up and softly asking questions. Isabelle turned to Aiden, but her Suit looked away.

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Summer had hoped that watching Levy and Ivy's matches would prepare her in case they had to fight each other.

She had been wrong.

The minute he had finished transforming, Levy, now with Ivy's hair and eye color and dressed in a tunic and leggings, summoned roots from the ground-his staple move. But when Summer-in caramel pigtails and a black and brown dress-leapt into the air, a vine snatched her ankle and slammed her into the ground.

As it snaked around her body, Summer concentrated on her teeth, feeling them sharpen and tingle with dark energy, and tore through the vines. Levy apparently anticipated this, because he immediately conjured two new vines and began whipping them. Summer scrambled away, but not before taking a few hits.

 _Look for openings between his whips,_ Leon said.

Summer weaved through the vines, but her opponent slid back and increased the frequency of his whips, striking Summer furiously as he did so. She retreated again, then snatched the vines and swung Levy across the field.

 _No! Now he has more distance!_

 _Sorry!_

But instead of summoning more vines or roots, Levy simply rose, his body taking on a multicolored glow. Summer swallowed. He hadn't done this before.

Shining leaves shot out in all directions, digging into Summer's skin and clothes as they bombarded her. Levy rushed forward and struck with another set of vines. Sending dark energy into her hands, Summer seized the vines after several tries, disintegrating them, then tackled Levy. A ghost of a smile flashed across his face before a swarm of vines and roots lifted Summer up and wrapped around her. She tried biting and wriggling free, but the foliage either reformed or tightened in response.

 _"Uh oh! Looks like Summer's trapped! And the referee is counting_ down _! Five..."_

"Four!" the audience shouted, "Three...Two... _One_!"

 _"And the winner of the first ever Gijinka Guard Battlepalooza is Levy and Ivy! Let's give them a hand, everyone!"_

Summer felt herself being pulled towards the ground, the vines and roots retracting once she reached the battlefield.

"Leon, return," she muttered. The Lillipup gijinka re-emerged covered in light cuts just as the medics approached.

To her right, the announcer, Donovan, and the boy with the Mohawk from earlier strode toward Ivy and Levy, ribbons in hand.

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"You _traitors_."

Donovan and Zach, by virtue of being the son of one of the heads of the Gijinka Guard and said son's first Suit respectively, were not only obligated to help with clean up, but also to play nice with the winner of the Battlepalooza (bleh), chat with reporters, and personally thank the Club's Don George for allowing the Guard to hold their competition there. If that hadn't been exhausting enough, the duo had to contend with the Travel's Center's lengthy dinner line. The only thing that kept Donovan going was the thought that his fellow volunteers had saved them seats and they could all have a nice, lovely chat over dinner. But now?

Ryan, a fellow human, squirmed. "Aw, come on, Don. Don't look at me like that. We tried to save some seats, but you and Zach took so _long_..."

"And they," Ryan's Suit, a Gothita named Lexi, added as she gestured to the girls sitting across from them, "Had nowhere to sit. We couldn't just send these lovely ladies packing, now could we?" She winked at said ladies.

"They _do_ have a point," Zach said, using his free hand to pull one of the girls' hands up to his lips for a kiss.

Donovan could feel his pout morph into a glare. "Well, I just figured that since we're part of the _same nonprofit_ , we'd help each other out, but I guess I was wrong."

"Donny..." Lexi sighed.

"No, no. You guys enjoy your little date. Come on, Zach." Donovan started to walk off, but realized the Zorua wasn't following him. "Come _on_ , _Zach_."

"All right, all right!"

Donovan scanned the noisy dining hall, but there didn't seem to be a single spot amongst the rows of Hosts and Suits. He sighed, about to suggest that they eat in their reserved room, when Zach said, "Hey, there's room at that table where the girl you met earlier's at."

Sure enough, the auburn-haired, dark-skinned girl and her team were sitting nearby. Donovan flushed as he recalled barging into their conversation. He had felt justified at the time, but now... "I-I don't know. I don't think she'd-"

The girl looked up, her eyes widening in recognition as she waved them over.

"Now, now," Zach cooed, pushing Donovan along, "Let's not keep them waiting."

"I hate you so much," Donovan grumbled before plastering the brightest smile he could muster as they sat down. "Thanks for the seats."

"No problem. I'm Summer, by the way, and these are my teammates, Dylan," she gestured at the white-haired boy on her left, "And Leon." She indicated the cream-haired one on her right.

"Mine's Donovan, and he's Zach."

"We saw you on TV and onstage earlier. Trust us, we know," Leon replied. Dylan chuckled.

"Yeah! You must be pretty important to this Gijinka Guard," Summer added.

Donovan scratched the back of his head. "Well, not so much me as my mom. She's one of the directors. I'm just helping out with some of the events." It had been part of their agreement: if he wanted to go on a journey, she needed a way to ensure he was safe, she'd said. Donovan could only hope that future potential teammates weren't turned off by being occasionally thrust into the spotlight. "But that's enough about me. I heard earlier that you were from Japan, Summer?"

She nodded. "I came here from Johto as part of the International Exchange program."

"How's it been so far?" Zach asked, "Don told me about that guy you were with earlier. Hope he didn't scare you away from challenging the League."

"Not at all. I can't wait for the gyms."

"The gyms here are great, " Donovan said, "But you should see the beaches-"

"-like the ones in Humilau! They're the finest in all the land." Zach chimed in.

"Says the guy who's from Humilau," Donovan said.

Everyone laughed.

0000

 **A/N:** So now that all the necessary exposition's out of the way, things will be getting serious in Chapter 3. I've been waiting eagerly for the Striaton arc, as I've taken quite a few liberties with the Dreamyard and Plasma's plans regarding it that I'm sure you guys will enjoy. There wasn't much going in Accumula, especially since I had no plans of having the Plasma speech occur there in the story (Plasma behaves a lot differently here!), so I decided to take some anime-only elements and incorporate them into the plot. That being said, however, this is entirely game!verse.

Notes:

 **P.D.** stands for _Post Distortion_ , in reference to an event that happened 250 years ago in Sinnoh (The events of Pokémon Platinum take place before MaI and before the events of another nuzlocke universe I have planned for later.).

 **UST** stands for _Unova Standard Time_ , the time zone for the region.

 **D** means dollars, but the currency of dollars is different than that of the real world (I haven't developed the currency system, and chances are I won't because it doesn't really affect the plot.).

 **Hybrids** are people with at either a.) one gijinka parent and one human parent, b.) one hybrid parent and one human parent, c.) two hybrid parents, or d.) a hybrid parent and a gijinka parent. The level of hybridity determines whether one is a Host or a Suit. The more gijinka-like a person is, the more likely they are to be a Suit. The more human-like they are, the more likely they are to be a Host. There has been no recorded incident where a hybrid has served as both Host and Suit.

Thanks for reading, and feel free to leave a review. Constructive criticism is always welcome.

japaneserockergirl

4/20/16

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 **TEAM LINE UP**

 _ **SUMMER YUKIMURA/NATSUKO YUKI**_ **  
**Dylan Rogers (Species: Oshawott. Gender: Male. Age: 16. Nature: Modest. Met: Nuvema Town. Ability: Torrent.)  
Leon Williams (Species: Lillipup. Gender: Male. Age: 18. Nature: Brave. Met: Route 1. Ability: Vital Spirit.)

 _ **ISABELLE ISHIGURO**_ **  
**Aiden Garcia (Species: Tepig. Gender: Male. Age: 17.)

 _ **LEVY THOMPSON  
**_ Ivy Mendoza (Species: Snivy. Gender: Female. Age: 16.)

 _ **DONOVAN LANCASTER**_  
Zachary 'Zach' Jackson (Species: Zorua. Gender: Male. Age:15.)


	3. Nightmares Are Made Of Dream Mist I

Hey, everyone! Sorry for the wait. May was very hectic due to my graduation. Here's Chapter 3. -rubs hands together deviously-

0000

 **M** asquerades **a** nd **I** llusions  
Chapter 3: Nightmares are Made of Dream Mist I

The morning had started off pretty well: she and Levy went on a jog by the sunrise, got a new teammate, Levy actually smiled for once. So it figured that as the three of them headed back to the Travel Center, Ivy would find Aiden sulking on the Center's roof.

"Hey, isn't that one of your friends?" Levy asked between pants.

"Yeah..." Ivy sighed; she had a good feeling why Aiden was there. "You guys start packing. I'm gonna see what's up."

"Sure," their newest addition, Adrian, said.

"Very well," Levy replied.

"Try not to piss anybody off, Levy!" Ivy barely caught Levy's "Hey!" as she ran inside. Once she reached the roof, she slowed to a walk. It was never a good idea to startle a Fire-type gijinka.

Ivy sat down, her feet dangling over the roof. "Yo."

"Yo."

"You wanna ta-?"

"I'm so pissed at Izzy. How do you lose in the first round of something?" And that was after losing their first fight-not exactly the best start to a journey, Ivy would admit.

"Maybe she had stage fright. You shoulda checked with her before entering the competition."

"What makes you think I didn't?"

Ivy glared at him.

"Okay, fine, I didn't. But it's not just this. Isabelle's _always_ nervous about _everything_." Aiden ran a hand over his face. "It's like, if you knew you wouldn't be able to handle battling, then why become a Host?"

"She could be going through some stuff. You barely know her. Don't jump ship on this like you do with everything else."

Aiden crossed his arms. "I don't 'jump ship' on things. I just get bored. But you're right. It's way too early to quit."

"'Sides, your abuela'll rip you a new one if you try." Ivy smiled.

Aiden shuddered. "Don't remind me. How's things with Levy? Dylan told me he was rude to Summer yesterday."

"He isn't too bad. Just _way_ too serious about things." But, Ivy supposed, that was what valedictorian-types were like.

"Well, if he ever treats you like crap, just let me and Dylan know. We'll take care of him."

Ivy patted Aiden's shoulder. "Thanks, but I can handle myself. You just focus on Isabelle."

0000

Summer paced across the Travel Center's lobby, eyeing her X-Transceiver warily.

She had given Donovan her number.

 _She_ had given Donovan her number.

She had _given_ Donovan her number.

 _She had given Donovan her number._

 _Why_ had she given him her number? Sure, he was cute and funny-a great combination-yet she already had the task of revealing her true identity to her teammates. (It was rude to just disappear off the face of the planet after a year or two of traveling together, after all.) She had to be real here: there was no guarantee that Donovan wouldn't run to the nearest reporter the moment he learned the truth.

 _Well, he_ is _the son of a director of a clearly popular nonprofit. Maybe he'd understand?_ But being a director's son and being an actress were two very different things. Summer sighed. How was she gonna get out of this? Did she want to get out of this?

"Hey Summer, you okay?" Dylan asked as he and Leon approached her, their supplies in tow.

"We saw you pacing from the top of the stairs," Leon said, "And why are you holding your X-Transceiver like that?"

Summer wrapped her X-Transceiver back on her wrist and plastered the brightest smile she could muster. For now, she had a disguise to maintain, a role to perform. "It's nothing. Just itching to get to Striaton."

"Let's go then," Dylan replied, handing Summer her backpack and sleeping bag, "I can't wait to eat at their gym! I hear they create the best meal for you based on your personality!"

"Eat at their gym?"

"It doubles as a restaurant," Leon explained.

" _Okay..._ " Summer had no idea how that worked. Or if it was sanitary.

The trio made their way through Accumula easily, but once they reached the grassy fields of Route 2, they ran into a red-eyed Patrat gijinka fighting a Lillipup over a folder.

" _Hey..._ hey! Bad Lillipup!" ze cried, tugging on hir folder. The Lillipup bit harder, pulling back until the folder tore and they both fell. Before the person could recover, it ran off with its hard won half.

"Come back here with my writing notes! Come back!" The person growled, "You're no Great Ancestor of mine!"

"Hey buddy, you all right?" Dylan called as he, Summer, and Leon picked up hir things, which had fallen out of hir backpack.

"Yeah..." ze muttered, glaring in the direction the Lillipup had gone. "Now I'm _really_ glad I scanned those yesterday..." When ze turned back to Summer and her team, hir eyes brightened, "It's you! The team that was runner-up in the Battlepalooza!"

"Yeah, it's 'us'," Summer said. Since when was it a good thing to meet the losing team? "And you're...?"

"Scout Miller, the next great Unovan writer, at your service." Scout bowed, hir brown, shag-style hair falling over hir face as ze did. "I would like to join your team."

"But why would you want to join the _losing_ team?" Leon asked. Dylan jabbed him in the ribs. "Ow! I'm just saying!"

" _Well_ , I did kinda ask that Levy guy yesterday," Scout said, scratching hir cheek, "But they weren't interested, so..."

"So you went on the rebound." This time, Summer jabbed him. "Ow! _What_?"

"L-look, I know it sounds bad, but I really need to join a team. It's for research!"

"Research?" Summer asked.

"Yeah, for my novel. It's a fantasy epic where a human and a gijinka need to work together to escape a decaying kingdom. It involves a lot of fighting scenes, some of them happening while the heroes are fused together. And the closest thing to a fusion is?"

"A Merge," Dylan answered.

"Exactly!"

Summer hesitated. On one hand, she was all for helping people achieve their goals. Plus, how hilarious would it be to defeat Levy with the gijinka he'd rejected? On the other hand, it wouldn't be right to add a new team member that not all of her current members approved of. She glanced at Leon.

"Hey, it's your call. Besides, I can't take much more of your jabs," he said, rubbing his waist.

"Welcome to the team, Scout."

0000

"I'm glad you could see things our way," Vermilion said. The Bisharp gijinka's dark eyes softened as he turned from the dilapidated buildings and cracked dirt to the group of Munna and Musharna gijinka standing before him. They were lean, but their tired eyes shone with hope. Once Plasma's plans went through, they'd be free of their poverty. And hopefully, the gijinka and hybrids that had initially opposed him would come around once they saw the results.

One of the older Musharna replied, "Of course we do. We've tried things the Striaton kids' way and've gotten nowhere. Now it's time to try something different."

"Yeah!" the crowd shouted.

"When do we start?" asked another.

Vermilion's X-Transceiver vibrated, cutting off his response. Signaling for the crowd to wait, he swiped the screen. The image of a woman with long, dark blue hair and red eyes against cool peach skin appeared on the screen.

"Sage Vermilion, what is your status?"

"The local Munna and Musharna have agreed to aid us. Operation Sleepwalk will proceed as planned."

0000

Striaton City began as a series of gated brick apartments that led to a bustling plaza of columned buildings. Despite its activity, however, people passed each other courteously, the chatter a mere murmur that allowed one to hear the clumping of shoes on cobblestone. The aroma of sausages and other breakfast foods from the gym greeted Summer and her team as they headed to the local Travel Center.

Once the team settled into their room, Leon said, "We should check the park for sparring partners."

"Pfft, please. The park's full of noobs," Scout answered, "The Dreamyard's where it's at."

"It's the outskirts of town, where a lot of Munna and Musharna gijinka live," Scout explained, "It's the poorer part of town-"

"-and the dangerous part," Leon added.

"Poor doesn't mean dangerous."

"What do you call a place with lots of crime and few cops?"

Scout rolled hir eyes. "That's only if you go deep inside. We're just gonna stay on the edges." When Leon's frown didn't lessen, ze added, "Look, I go there all the time to watch fights. It's totally safe."

"I don't know..."

"Come on, man," Dylan said, "Don't tell me you're not up for a challenge." He turned to their Host. "Summer?"

Summer did _not_ like the idea of going to a crime infested place; the closest she had ever gotten to the 'shady part of town' was Goldenrod's underground markets. But if it would make them stronger faster... "I don't see why not. We're just staying on the edges, right? Close to the city?"

Scout nodded, then turned to Leon, who eyed the others uneasily. When it was clear that none of them was going to budge on their decision, he sighed. " _Okay_." He pointed on Scout. "But if anything happens to us, it's on you."

In contrast to the immaculate Striaton, the Dreamyard's roads were cracked and covered in litter. The remains of some factories and shops were slowly being reclaimed by nature, grass and vines forming over them. Some of the houses and apartments had cracked or boarded up windows. In the distance, one could see several newer factories, the only decent-looking buildings in the area. But the most off-putting issue was the lack of people, gijinka or otherwise.

Summer shuddered. "Where is everyone? And why is this place so... _bleh_?"

Scout hummed. "This is weird. I mean, some of the people have work, but still...As for why the Dreamyard's 'so bleh', it's because most of the businesses left decades ago. The whole 'Dream Experiments' fiasco sure as hell didn't help."

" _Experiments?_ "

Dylan rubbed his arm. "Well, yeah. B-but that was years ago!"

Scout explained, "The story goes that a group of scientists wanted to study Dream Mist and if it really was a link to the Dream World mentioned in mythology. Since Munna and Musharna gijinka-along with their Great Ancestors-live here, the scientists decided to set up shop and pay any gijinka who participated in their study or who brought Ancestors to them."

"But isn't it illegal to use Ancestors in most research projects?" Leon asked.

" _Very_ , but you gotta remember that businesses were leaving in droves; people were getting desperate. Besides, no one was getting hurt-at least until Alpha Co. got involved. The company promised to provide additional funding in exchange for involvement in the research. The scientists, who had gotten little government support, agreed. That's when Ancestors and people started disappearing, and some of the participants started having serious mental problems. The Dreamyarders contacted Alpha, but Alpha kept quiet. So they went to Striaton's mayor, but he wasn't interested in helping 'the blight on this town'. They protested in front of the Alpha Co. buildings. Alpha Co. shut it down. Eventually, they just gave up.

Then, one day, a dark cloud of Dream Mist burst from the company's main building, destroying it and a bunch of other buildings and homes in the process. The Northeast Council-that's the government Unova shares with a few other regions-couldn't ignore _that_. Alpha Co. was investigated and shut down, but no one knows exactly what they did or if anyone important was actually punished."

"What about the Dreamyarders? Didn't they get any compensation?" Summer asked, even though she was sure of the answer before Scout even spoke.

Scout looked around. "Doesn't look like they got _much_." There was a heavy silence. " _But_ I hear things are starting to change. A while ago, an Audino told me that the Striaton brothers, the current gym leaders, have been advocating for them every chance they've gotten."

"Well, that's good," Summer said, but the story still left her sick. The whole thing reminded her of the Lake of Rage incident that had occurred when she was a kid. She shivered.

"Still don't see any challengers," Dylan said.

The group stopped.

"Okay, this is getting creepy. We're in the middle of the 'yard, for crying out loud!" Scout complained.

Leon pointed at the sparkling, pink vapor that had appeared above them. "Um, why is there _Dream Mist_ floating around?"

"You know what? I declare this field trip over," Scout replied, "Let's get out of here-"

"Stop right where you are, traitors."

A group of gijinka dressed in blue leggings and hoods with white tunics marched towards them, an insignia with a large blue P across their chests.

0000

The inspiration for this chapter came from the Best Wishes/Black and White anime; I just loved the slightly darker history around the Dreamyard and felt it would work better here than the events of the game, so I took some liberties. (And yes, Fennel-as well as Professor Burnet-was involved in the Dream Experiments...at least initially.)

 **Great Ancestor** is a term that gijinkas use to refer to the Pokémon that they came from. There are many myths surrounding the creation of gijinka-some say that some Pokémon begged Arceus/Xerneas for a closer relationship with humans, and Arceus/Xerneas responded by humanizing them; other myths say that it was punishment for certain individual Pokémon who either defied the Legendaries or unnecessarily attacked humans or other Pokémon, and that over time, these punished former Pokémon interacted and mated, creating the current gijinka populations we have today. And there are some myths that have incorporated scientific discoveries in evolution (of the non-leveling up variety) and thus state that gijinka are the results of Legendaries trying to experiment (over the ages) with creating an ultimate being that was the best of both worlds. It should be noted that you only use the term 'Great Ancestor' for the Pokémon species that you originate from; otherwise, a gijinka/hybrid would refer to a Pokémon as **'Ancestral Beast** '.

The **Northeast Council** , as stated earlier, is the government that takes care of certain Unovan and other nearby regions' affairs. It consists of 2-3 representatives per region, who vote on laws surrounding topics such as education and healthcare. Each region has departments that enforce the Council's general laws and create/enforce local laws and programs.

I had forgotten to mention in Chapter 2 that some characters _will_ know Egg Moves (better known as **Heritage/Heritable Moves** in-universe), just for the sake of making a more compelling story. Ivy, for example, knows Magical Leaf.

This is my first time writing nonbinary characters-and thus nonbinary pronouns. Please forgive me if I conjugated Scout's pronouns wrong!

As always, thanks for reading, and feel free to drop a review/constructive criticism!

japaneserockergirl

6/6/2016

0000

 **TEAM LINE UP**

 ** _SUMMER YUKIMURA/NATSUKO YUKI_**  
Dylan Rogers (Species: Oshawott. Gender: Male. Age: 16. Nature: Modest. Met: Nuvema Town. Ability: Torrent.)  
Leon Williams (Species: Lillipup. Gender: Male. Age: 18. Nature: Brave. Met: Route 1. Ability: Vital Spirit.)  
Scout Miller (Species: Patrat. Gender: Agender (DMAB). Age 17. Nature: Bashful. Met: Route 2. Ability: Keen Eye.)

 ** _ISABELLE ISHIGURO_**  
Aiden Garcia (Species: Tepig. Gender: Male. Age: 17.)

 _ **LEVY THOMPSON**_ _ **  
**_Ivy Mendoza (Species: Snivy. Gender: Female. Age: 16.)  
Adrian Hart (Species: Purrloin. Gender: Male. Age: 16.)

 _ **DONOVAN LANCASTER**_  
Zachary 'Zach' Jackson (Species: Zorua. Gender: Male. Age:15.)


End file.
